Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, a fiery opponent of immigration reform, is now questioning climate change, saying: “It’s more of a religion than a science.”

In decrying the “religion” of global warming science, King suggested benefits of climate change, adding:

“Everything that might result from a warmer planet is always bad in (environmentalists’) analysis. There will be more photosynthesis going on if the Earth gets warmer . . . and if sea levels go up 4 to 6 inches. I don’t know if we’d know that.”

King argued that the United States must allow construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Alberta’s tar sands project across North America to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

“We need that oil,” said King, although analyses show much of the oil would be exported. If the pipeline is not built, the congressman warned, Canada would seek to sell it to “refineries in China.”

The Republican-run House of Representatives has sought to block the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from taking steps to limit emission of such greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Despite a call for action last week by four former EPA administrators who served under Republican presidents, the House GOP is a domain of hardened climate skeptics, coal power advocates and defenders of carbon dioxide.

House Speaker John Boehner, in a recent interview, said: “George, the idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, you know, when they do what they do, you’ve got more carbon dioxide.”

Whatever is disgorged by people and cows, however, coal-fired power plants are the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., a 2012 presidential candidate, has emerged as a spirited defender of carbon dioxide, declaring in a House floor speech:

“Carbon dioxide, Mr. Speaker, is a natural byproduct of nature. Carbon dioxide is natural. It occurs in Earth. It is part of the regular life cycle of Earth. In fact, life can’t exist even exist without carbon dioxide.”

Rep. King has, of late, been in South Carolina, which in election cycles of the last 25 years has held a primary crucial to the Republican presidential nomination.